Spring-wheel.



G. J. & 0. BLAZE-K.- SPRING WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1911.

1,033,299. famed Jilly 23,1912

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wiies GEORGE J. BLAZEK AND CHARLES BLAZEK,OF RED nann, sournnaxorn..

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-' Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Application filed mm; 15, 1911. Serial Nb. e14,e1o.

To all whom z't mag concern:

' Be it know'n that we, GnonenJ; BLAZEK and CHARLES BnAzEx, citizens of the United States, residing at Red Lake, in the county I of Brule'and State of South Dakota, have I invented certain new and useful Improve rnents in Spring-Wheels, of which'the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying. drawings. Ourjnvention relates to improvements in spring wheels,- and especially with reference to improvements in spring hubs for auto-, mobile wheels, which spring hubs absorb the "shocks, enable the automobileto, ride easily, and without jarring and unpleasantmotion, and enable .the pneumatic tires ordinarily employed on automobile wheels to be dispensed with, the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices,. hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing'sFigure 1. is a side elevation-of a portion of anautomobile wheel provided with a spring hub constructed in accordance with our invention, parts of the hub being removed so as to disclose interior constructions. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing-a modified construction,

In the embodiment of our invention, we provide a central hub member 1, which is here shown as a tubular sleeve adapted to be placed on the spindle ofan axle 2. When the wheel is a driving wheel, for use on, a

rear driving axle, the hub member '1, is "secured to the spindle of the axle forrotation therewith by means ofsuitable keys 3. Where the wheel is a front wheel its hub member 1 is mounted to turn freely on the spindle of'the axle. The axle spindle is provided at its outerend with a threaded portion 4, to which acap ,nut 5- may be screwed. The hub membe "'1 is provided at a-suitable distance apart? and at suitable distances from its ends with a pair of an; nular circumferential flanges. 6on the outer: sides ofwhich are. key enlargements 7; The

. 'ends of theoentraL-hub rnember ar g exfl- 'teriorly threaded to receiv""a xiut 8''and'fai an 9 0nt h h'm mbe 1 iirei r n a rear disk 1.0, 1 i-The. n s 0- i ..,.f. rme w l. -a: eeiitra i sgws 11 port r 12 threugh. Wh ch-the {an p n es of. 1 5 therubmemb r lf xtead i-Sei., h11b-P its inner side, which form'seats for the re- Patented lily 19 12 ception of the front or outer key enlarge;

-ment 7 of the hub member 1. The, nut/8 bears against the outer side of the hub ortion 12 of the disk 10, and the said dis is provided with bearing screws 14, the inner ends 'of which bear against the front-sideof thefront or outer flange 6; It will be understood that by the provision of thefnut 8, and

the bearing screws 14:, the'front disk 10 may be adjusted on'the hub member lizto compensate for wear. The said front disk 10 is provided on'its front side with radially disposed reinforcing webs 15. provided on its inner side with an annular concentric groove 16 of suitable width and diameter. The disk is also provided with suitable openings 17, the inner ends of which communicate with the said groove'or channel 16. I The rear disk v driving wheel, has a member 18, which forms a brake band and comprises an annular tread portion 19, and a web 20, the latter being formed with radial'reinforcements 21. The disk 11 and the member 18, which is secured. theretof by bolts 22, form an annular seat 23 for the rear or inner annular enlargement 7, of thecentral hub member 1, and the member l which is in 'effect a per- Said disk is 11 where the wheel isa rear rear side of the said enlargement 7, and together with the nut 9,'adapt the 'rear'disk' 11 .to be adjusted as may be required on the central hub member 1. The disks 10, 11 be- .ing firmly clampedby the nuts 8, 9,'and the bearing screws 14, 24', revolve with the cen tral hub member 1. 'The rear orinner disk 11, is provided on its front side with-an annular circumferential channel 01' groove 25.

Packing rings 26, 27 which arepreferably made of suitable metal, are respectively disposed. in' the aged t. their. eurerimdstyveap nuts or 't hejsaid openings.

normally concentric with he ,inner' member 31, which'while 110 E 1. grooves or channels 16,25 and ace respectively by' springs 28',

p l spr ngs [being disposedintrans -verse openings injithe disks; and being en f IOJS sta Which-are ew-W119i M s e I, Ourimpwvfidfhub i sfal soprovided with an annular outer membert 1f,is movable'radially and eccentrically with I reference thereto. outer member 31, is

provided at its sides with inwardly extending spaced annular flanges or webs 32, which extend between the disks 10, 11, move and 'wardly between the said opposing faces.

In the opposing sides of the webs or flanges32, of the outer hub'member31, at suitable points are radial grooves 33, which are open at their inner ends. Cross heads 34 are arranged and radially movable between the webs orflanges 32, of the outer hub member 31, and are guided and held in place by bosses 35 at the ends'of said cross heads, and which provide and. are guided in the slots 33.

Each cross head has a central recess 36, which is open at the inner side of the cross head, anda pivot pin 37, also extends from end to end of each cross head, concentrically with the bosses 35, and also extendsaoross the recess-36. In the recess 36 of each cross head is the eye 38, at the outer end of a hook link 39, the eye of which is engaged by the pin 37, and hence the said hook links are pivotally connected to the cross heads. Each hook link is provided at its inner end with a pair of oppositely extending bills 40. The

flanges 6 of the central hub member arecon nected together at suitable points by screws 41, which form the piVQts, for pairs of hook links 42. The said hook links are' provided at their outer ends with oppositely extending bills 43. Coiled cushioning springs 44 extend around the pairs of links 42, and are engaged at their outer ends by the bills 43, the inner ends of the said cushioning springs being engaged by the oppositely extending bills of the hook links 39. Hence the hook links and the springs 44, form connections between the outer hub member 31, and

1 the central or inner hub member -1, which connections are slidable, and while the springs 44 counteract one another, and normally, keep the member 31 concentric with the member 1, they yield under shocks when the wheel is moving over uneven road surfaces, and permit radial and eccentric movements of the outer hub member 31, and absorb the shocks, so as to cause the car to ride provided at a suitable point with a radial opening 49, through which lubricating oil may be introduced to the space between the outer and inner hub members 31, 1, and the made of pressed steel and are secured at their inner and outer ends to the hub member 31, and the telly 51, by means of rivets 53. In the form of our invention shown in Fig. 3, the spokes 54 are wooden spokes, the

inner ends of which are socketed in the hub member 31. In Fig. 3, in which the wheel is adapted to turn on the spindle of the'axle,

the inner disk 11 is substantially identical in construction with the outer disk 10, and the brake band 19 shown in Fig. 2, is dispensed with.

In order to strengthen the .disks- 10, 11 of our improved spring hub, we provide the same respectively, with radial guide arms 55, 56, the'inner ends of which bear on the outer sides of and are'secured to the said disks by means of bolts or rivets 57. These guide "arms are co incident with the spaces between certain of the spokes and project beyond the periphery of the outer hub member 31. Tubular spacers 58, are interposed between the outer ends of the said guide and brace arms, and are secured in place by means of bolts 59,'which extend through said tubular spacers and also through the said guide and brace arms. To prevent the spacers from striking ,and injuring the spokes when the car starts suddenly, the outer ends of the .guide and brace arms may be connected to the spokes by slack chains 60. By the use of our improved spring hub injury to the transmission and differential gears is avoided as they are prevented from being stripped when starting the car orwhen changing speeds. On heavy loads and hard pulls the springs act efficiently and make the wheels so resilient as to prevent the car from riding unevenly and from starting with a jerk.

While we have herein shown and de scribed what we now consider a preferred embodiment of our invention, we would have it understood that minor changes in the form, proportion, and construction of the several parts may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention, as

defined by the appended claims.

We claim j 1] In a spring wheel hub, the combination of an inner or central hub member provided with outwardly extending. spaced flanges,

In the form of our invention; shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the spokes 52 are flanges disposed between said disks and pro-- vided on their inner sides with radial guide slots, cross heads between the flanges oi the outer hub member,. having outwardly extending bosses operating in said guide slots, the said cross heads being each provided with a central recess open on its inner side.

hook links having their inner ends pivotally mounted between the flanges of the inner hub member, hook links having their outer ends pivotally mounted in the recesses of the cross heads, cushioning springs connecting the said hook links. and co-acting therewith to form slidable cushioning connections between the inner hub member and the cross heads, and connections, admitting of the radial movement of the cross heads, between the latter and the outer hub member.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. BLAZEK. CHARLES 'BLAZEK.

W'itnesses: I

CORA,P. VEAVER, J. A. STRAUSKY,

Miner 

